To work or not to work
by bhut
Summary: Catherine Willows feels overworked and needs someone to unload her sorrows; Helen Cutter is ready to loan her a helpful ear - and more.


**To work or not to work**

_Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, but belong to their respective owners._

The job of a CSI is glamorous but demanding, Catherine Willows mused, as she sat down in a bar for a drink. Normally not a drinker at all, she was feeling rather under the weather lately, and decided to sit down to let the rest of the world turn without her for a while – a very little while, for time was not a luxury for her.

"It's not that Lindsey is a bad kid or I am a bad parent," Catherine mused to herself, "it's just that between her and my job, I feel like I need a spare clone of myself to balance both. If I could do that, of course, I would, but..."

"But which one of you would get to work and which would get to stay – that is the question," a slightly ironic, female, and unknown voice interrupted Catherine's musings.

"Excuse me?" the blonde CSI said slowly. "Are you talking to me?"

"Yes," the woman replied, eyes hidden under the dark bangs. "I am. So, which one of you would get to work and which would not?"

"Oh," Catherine realized with belated embarrassment that she must've been talking outloud. "It's really an either-or question – or a statement, I suppose. Either me or my clone could – or would – do the either part of that equation, I don't care."

"Interesting choice of answer," the other woman nodded. "Well, sorry to bother you, and good luck with your problem."

"...there's no bother involved at all," Catherine said after it became obvious that the other woman considered this conversation to be over. "I was just startled – I didn't realize that I was talking out loud. So, uh, I'm Catherine and do you come here often?"

"I'm Helen, and no, not at all – I'm a tourist here, from England. Hence the clone interest – my country's got an official start on it, what with Dolly the sheep and all."

"Oh, right, I remember that – Gil... I mean, a friend of mine has talked about it for a while," Catherine nodded, politely.

"Bet you half a dollar that in 2 to 5 centuries in the future or so cloning oneself will be perfectly normal and legal?" Helen asked, her mouth quirking slightly. "Want to take this bet?"

"Thanks, I may be a Vegas native, but I don't gamble," Catherine shook her head. "You might find a better luck in one of the casinos."

"Oh, I'm not here to gamble," Helen replied easily, "I'm here for sight-seeing."

"Really?" now it was Catherine's turn to be surprised. "Most people come here for at least some gambling... So how are you finding Las Vegas?"

"It's probably my general dislike of big cities," Helen said, a bit sheepishly, "but it's reminding me a bit of Manhattan, and not necessarily in a good way. So, how do you like working here, in all of this glamour and neon lights?"

"I'm afraid it's far less glamorous underneath it all," Catherine sighed sadly. "Of course, I being a single mother make it even more so."

"...Ever thought of getting re-married?" Helen asked, eventually. "Me and Nick – that's my ex – never had any children of our own, we just didn't..."

"I'm sorry to hear this," Catherine said, genuinely. "Lindsey is a great kid, but I unfortunately don't appear to have any time for her lately..."

"...which brings us back to the beginning of this conversation," Helen nodded sagely. Before she had time to add anything else, Catherine's pager went off.

"Damn," the latter almost swore. "But, of course, as soon as I start to enjoy myself, the universe comes back with a reminder of- never mind of what."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Helen nodded apologetically, as she helped somewhat flustered Catherine to open the door and get out of the bar. "Maybe we'll get another chance to talk some other time..."

"Maybe," Catherine said in a highly doubting tone of voice. "But thanks for the talk. It was nice to talk to someone...nice."

An odd look came briefly onto Helen's face, but it vanished before Catherine could notice. "You're welcome," Helen replied instead. "Tell your daughter hi on my behalf and good luck with whatever you'll be doing in the future."

"Will do," Catherine nodded and drove-off. She was so busy that she didn't notice Helen Cutter vanish in a flash of white.

As Catherine approached the HQ, a brief wave of dizziness came over her, but she shrugged it off. Briefly, she thought about calling in sick and spending some time with Lindsay instead, but she shook it off – it was wrong – and went inside anyways.

"So, Gil, what's going on? I was," she hesitated, for some reason her memory of the last hour or so was sort of blurry, "well, enjoying some free time, when-"

"Catherine," Gil said carefully, "you remember the lottery that I told you about some time ago?"

"Oh yeah, it was run by some company, InGen – short for human InGenuity or something other that is equally punny," Catherine replied casually, before a memory hit. "They... deal in cloning?" it was more a question than a statement.

"Exactly," Gil nodded solemnly, "very big company in Europe, very successful. Has probably changed the course of history and all. Anyways, if you forgot, the lottery involved sending the company some of your blood or tissue-"

"Gil," Catherine blinked, "are you saying that I won myself my own clone?"

"Exactly," Gil sighed. "It – well, she, or maybe you – arrived at your house less than half an hour ago and introduced herself to Lindsey. The girl is much exited – clones are still a rarity, and this one, apparently, can be more of your twin than just a copy."

"I have – a clone," Catherine said weakly. For some reason, something that was not quite a memory stirred in her mind, but it was blurry and was ignored. "I can be in two places now! I can spend more time with my girl, maybe have more of a social life-"

"So does this mean that we'll be working with you – or the other you?" Gil asked, wryly.

"I have no idea," Catherine admitted. "Now I need to get home and see my other me in person."

As the door closed behind Catherine, Gil just sighed. Maybe next time InGen held a lottery, he would win a clone for himself – purely in the name of science.

"...So, you went and changed the last seventy-five to seventy million years of Earth's evolution and history just so that a total stranger that you've met in a bar could legally own her own clone?" The taller of the two figures that sat on a roof asked her companion.

"Pretty much," Helen shrugged unapologetically. "It was either this or kill Nick and then the rest of the humanity in conjecture with Stephen's death. Had to do something to get over it. Glad to see that this has worked. Sorry if you don't like this."

"You crazy?" Helen's companion chuckled. "North America is now split in two, the War of Independence has never happened, and my ancestor has never suffered the ignominy that he initially had. Helen Cutter, for a chronological clone queen, you're one of a kind!"

"And don't you forget it," Helen chucked as well, and then leaned backwards to enjoy the sight of a night-time Las Vegas.

End


End file.
